In vitro culture and identification of cells arising from urine of cryptorchidism and hypospadias

Objective To culture and identify the cells from urine of healthy people and children with cryptorchidism. Methods Cleaning urine were harvested and centrifuged for collection of pellet, then followed by seeding and propagation. Cell counting, immunofluorescene staining, and karyotyping, as well as short tandem repeats analysis were conducted to identify the characteristics of cells. Results Urine-derived cells growth curve showed that cells arising from healthy people and children with cryptorchidism and grew well and presented a similar propagation capacity. ICC staining suggested these cells expressed urothelial surface markers. Furthermore, these cells displayed normal karyotype and cells had their specific short tandem repeats. Conclusions The urine is an ideal non-invasive cell source that can be utilized for not only individual-specific and disease-specific mechanism researches, but also for clinical diagnosis of differential individuals. Key words: Urine;  Cell culture;  Characterization